CVC football notes from around the Web

The PD has some preview capsules of this weekend’s football games:

Aurora vs. Walsh Jesuit

What, when, where: Regional title game, 7 p.m., Solon’s Stewart Field, 33600 Inwood Road, Solon. Call 440-349-6244.

Records: Aurora, 10-2; Walsh Jesuit, 9-2.

What to watch: Top-seeded Walsh Jesuit has been living on the edge in the playoffs - some would say all season - but keeps finding ways to win. The Warriors, making the school’s 15th appearance in the playoffs, have won twice by a combined seven points. The trio of Armand Dehaney, Cameron Ontko and Kyle Snyder have carried the Warriors offensively, and Dehaney had a game-saving interception in last week’s victory over stubborn Chagrin Falls. Aurora, in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, was pushed to the limit last week against Hubbard, winning, 14-7, when quarterback Brendan Gallagher threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Dee Brizzolara in the final minute.

PD pick: Aurora.

Perry vs. Steubenville

What, when, where: Regional title game, 7:30 p.m., Mollenkopf Stadium, Harding High School, 860 Elm Road N.E., Warren. Call 330-395-3291.

Records: Perry, 11-1; Steubenville, 12-0.

What to watch: Pirates lean on an aggressive, ball-hawking defense led by ends John Phelps and Anthony Kukwa, linebacker Vinny Hokavar and safety Mitchell Hokavar, and the uncanny scoring ability of tailback Mike Hanhauser (1,830 yards offense, 40 touchdowns). The key for Perry is the health of guard Adam Crow (illness). Agile quarterback Hokavar will need time to find receiver Anthony Skinner and tight end Anthony Kukwa. Steubenville, coming off its first-ever victory over Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, counters with run-first quarterback Dwight Macon and fullback / linebacker Branko Busick, a West Virginia recruit.

PD pick: Steubenville.

Kirtland vs. Youngstown Ursuline

What, when, where: Regional title game, 7 p.m., Mollenkopf Stadium, Warren Harding High School, 860 Elm Road N.E., Warren. Call 330-395-3291.

Records: Both teams are 12-0.

What to watch: Can the Hornets pull the upset of the year? It will require the same kind of play it has excelled at against lesser opponents - zero turnovers and few mistakes while preventing big plays on defense, a tall order against talented and deep Ursuline. Kirtland’s offensive strength is versatility with run-and-pass threat quarterback Ben Madden, running back Rossi Santo and a fleet of receivers led by Dominic Samf and tight end Anthony Ritossa, who will match up against one of the nation’s top ends in junior Jamel Turner. Ursuline’s offense is not overwhelming, but it is relentless with a bevy of tailbacks running behind a huge line. Its real strength is a defense allowing just nine points per game against a brutal schedule. Kirtland will need two-way lineman Schyler Chappell, who injured his shoulder last week.

PD pick: Kirtland.

I’m high on Aurora too. I expect them to win, and perhaps win big. Perry will be in for a tough game. It will come down to whether or not they can create big plays.

It’s hard to pick against Kirtland because they haven’t lost all season. This weekend, however, they are playing by far the best team they will have seen in years. Can they pull off the upset?

The Chagrin Valley Times looks back at Chagrin Falls loss to Walsh Jesuit:

Statistics don’t win games. But when the Chagrin Falls football team puts some time and distance between itself and last Saturday’s Division III playoff loss to Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, the Tigers will remember that they largely dominated the game they ultimately lost.

In Chagrin Falls’ 21-17 loss to Walsh at Stewart Field in Solon, the Tigers led their opponents in time of possession, first downs, total plays from scrimmage and total yards gained.

The Tigers could have (and probably should have) beat Walsh, but they made several critical mistakes in the fourth quarter that allowed Walsh to steal the win. The Tigers will be a force next season, no doubt.

The News-Herald has a story about how Kirtland has found success running up the middle, even on designed quarterback sneaks:

With versatile center Kyle Smith and bulldozer guards Schyler and Spensir Chappell making up the heart of the offensive line, the Hornets don’t have to be sneaky at all when it comes to the QB or any other member of the backfield running right up the middle.

Over and over again in some instances.

“In a game early in the season we were basically telling the other team what we were going to run before the play happened, but the refs yelled at us so we had to stop,” Smith said. “It’s so much fun when the other team knows what’s coming but you can still runs the exact same play the whole way down the field.”

It’s good to be able to run, but eventually the Hornets may run into a team with a dominant defensive line that won’t allow Kirtland to run the same plays over and over again.

Of course, sometimes, your offensive line is so good, it doesn’t matter who the other team is. We’ll find out tomorrow what the truth is.